What To Make With What’s On Sale: Oranges

It’s the first Friday of 2012 — time for What To Make With What’s On Sale! This week we’re finally seeing oranges at a good price: $1.00 for a 3-lb bag ($0.34/lb) at Albertson’s!

Most people probably don’t buy whole oranges with the intent of using them in a recipe, but oranges are a great compliment to many dishes, both in cooking and baking. Here are some delicious ways to use fresh oranges!

If you’re looking for an easy and nutritious snack or dessert, here’s a tasty idea: slice oranges in half and place them cut side up in a baking dish. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes. You can eat the segments straight out of the peel, or spoon the flesh into a bowl and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Oranges also make a great base for smoothies. If you need a smoothie recipe, try this Orange Banana Smoothie from Ina Garten. Simple and yummy!

Fresh orange segments are a great compliment to salad greens. Fresh orange juice and zest also make a tasty salad dressing: try this Spinach Salad with Orange Vinaigrette. (Substitute bacon or thinly-sliced ham for the prosciutto to make a less pricey version.)

Spinach Salad with Orange Vinaigrette: Image from Food Network

Oranges can be used in main dishes too; these Orange Chicken Skewers look amazing! I like that the flesh of the oranges are used in the recipe, not just the juice and zest.

I also love to bake with oranges — this recipe from the Pioneer Woman, Orange Mini-Muffins with Brown Sugar Glaze, is one of my favorites. These can be made in a standard muffin tin as well.

Orange Breakfast Rolls: Image from Allrecipes

Here’s a yummy-looking twist on the cinnamon roll: these Orange Breakfast Rolls look scrumptious. The recipe calls for frozen (and thawed) bread dough rolls, but these could also be made with a pound of homemade or store-bought bread dough, rolled out flat, spread with the filling, rolled up jelly-roll style and sliced.

What’s your favorite way to serve and eat fresh oranges?

Want more recipe ideas? Visit the What To Make With What’s On Sale archives!